Tanning a rabbit pelt

You can tan with white oak acorns as well (The large, light tan acorns)

settingdusk said:

You can tan with white oak acorns as well (The large, light tan acorns)

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I love you "I'm not a nugget" picture!

I know you said without chemicals, but to actually tan the hide you need what is known a tannin. And tannin is a chemical, but it can be had naturally. Tea has tannins in it. The best near natural tanning mix I have found to soak several tea bags in baby oil, then apply it to the hide. The baby oil helps eliminate any odors, and softens the hide.

Isn't baby oil petroleum product?

has any one tried to tan/cure a rabbit skin how the Indians did it when they didnt have alum or battery acid on hand. If so how did you do it? any tips will be appreciated.

I keep rabbits, but I have read that rabbit pelts shed and do not hold up well to regular use.

Is this true?

I would like to know how to naturally skin and tan a rabbit pelt.

I keep my rabbits for manure, for show and for breeding.

However, when they do die a natural death, I would like to use every part of them.

Are old rabbits suitable for skinning and eating?

Umlaut said:

That's awesome that you're trying to tan w/o chemicals. I've read that they're very harmful.

I think the solution would be to not kill the rabbit in the first place.

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But how do you eat rabbit s without killing them?!?!

I have experimented some with natural tanning with mixed results. I did a few muskrats once with Red Oak acorns. Sun steeped them in brine water on the deck for a few days to make the tanning liquor. Worked alright, but got some fur slippage on one pelt.

While not traditional, I've used Borax quite successfully for tanning. It is made from a naturally occurring mineral and is a mild acid. I make a paste with borax and water and work it into the thoroughly fleshed pelt on the skin side. Then a couple times a day I'll work the pelt over a piece of closet rod dowel locked down in a bench vise. Grease will continue to sweat out of the hide and will need to be wiped off and re-boraxed when it looks oily. When the hide quits sweating, work in neatsfoot oil over the dowel rod. (rendered animal fat if you want to be traditional but it must be rendered or it will go rancid. Lard will not work)

hookem horns said:

But how do you eat rabbit s without killing them?!?!

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Well I only have one answer to that. - ROAD KILL !!!!
I was comming home last night down a country lane when a car infront of me knocked down a rabbit. He didn;t stop so I swang back and there she was dead as a doornail !
She was plump and very fluffy. So in the car she went!
Having gotten her home I investigated the chance of tanning ( the link to Hugh Fearnley that I posted a while back didn;t open so I have had to wing it a bit!-lol)
We skinned her and got the pelt off in more or lass one piece. We cut off all four little paws and investigated how to save those - rabbits feet for good luck! So they are along with her tail right now doing a bit of a swim in Alcohal. Apparently then after 48hrs They go into borax for another 24 before you can mount them and make key rings or bag tags etc. I am looking forward to seeing how that turns out. When we skined her, her gits were out. I noticed she had blood from her mouth and nose and one back leg was broken. It was a quick death and I doubt if she knew much about it. I did find myself talking to her and appologizing for her untimely demize Then we butchered her and had her for dinner with a lovely red wine! She tasted beautiful -
I think I will be having a few more road trips up dark lanes in the middle of the night!

Her pelt is now scrapped I rubbed baby oil into her to stop her going dry as someone on here was doing that with Teabags - but someone else on the internet was using Salt ( Iodine free)
to tan and it seemed to do a good job as well. I am not sure what to do now but don't want to lose the beautiful fur. I promised her she wouldn;t die for No reason! So I want to use and make best I can of every part.

So that is how one eats Rabbit without killing it! -lol Get someone else to do it for you!

Oes